Naval Base Guam opens submarine firefighting training facility

The U.S. Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific (NSTCP) held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Mobile Trainer (MT) 1000 submarine firefighting trainer on Polaris Point, Guam, August 26.

According to U.S. Navy, the MT-1000 is the hottest firefighting trainer it has. It can run until temperatures reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit at five feet above the deck.

It is designed to train service members in both basic firefighting and responsive team training to improve the casualty response of forward deployed units in the Western Pacific.

One of the MT-1000’s two fireplaces simulates a switchboard electrical fire, and the other is a bilge fire with a flashover capability that shoots propane across the ceiling, which rapidly raises the temperature inside. Training is routinely conducted around 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be reached within a couple of minutes at full burn. The MT-1000 can train two hose teams of four Sailors each simultaneously and is closely monitored by staff to ensure safety and compliance with proper firefighting techniques.

“The addition of the MT-1000 reinforces the Navy’s commitment to ensure our submarine force is trained to the highest degree of readiness and that our crews are ready to handle emergency situations underway,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jarrod Trant, NSTCP det Guam Officer in Charge. “The MT-1000 is the newest, hottest firefighter trainer in the U.S. Navy, putting our front line submariners through rigorous firefighting scenarios, which provides invaluable training.”

The MT-1000 is designed to improve firefighting capabilities aboard submarines with a side watertight door and topside hatch over a vertical ladder to simulate firefighting conditions and accesses on submarines. The trainer also has moveable metal panels to simulate different scenarios and increase the difficulty.

The new facility was built by Kidde Fire Trainers, Inc. and shipped from Groton, Connecticut, to Guam in July. The MT-1000 has been undergoing acceptance testing throughout August and will be ready to train submariners in September, the navy said.

The Guam detachment of the Naval Submarine Training Center is located at Polaris Point in Apra Harbor, Guam and shares a building with Commander, Submarine Squadron 15. Together, they are responsible for providing training, material and personnel readiness support of four Los Angeles-class attack submarines stationed in Guam and submarines deployed throughout the Pacific Ocean.